Arthur G. Wavell to Stephen F. Austin, 02-17-1823

Although I have repeatedly written to you your first letter dated
21st Aug: 1822reached me ONLY on the 15th of this month having
been sent it appears to the Havannah and since it contains matter of
great importance to us I lose not a moment in answering it which I
had hoped to have done by means of the kindness of a Gentleman
who I had expected would have left this place for your part of the
country in which I am however disappointed— At some paragraphs
contained in your letter I am I confess surprized but shall neither
quote them nor make any remark since as I ever have stated [to] you
I[t] shall never be my fault if in every transaction and
correspondence which passes between us we do not act setting aside interested
motives unworthy of either of us as Gentlemen and friends as such
I am convinced we shall ever meet and trust hereafter travel over a
great part of Europe together—I most anxiously wait your next
letter containing the confirmation of your claims when I shall
immediately take steps for effecting the sale of some part of the land
in order to create a capital If you do not receive goods as soon as
you expect you have only to blame the ill luck which has prevented
your letters reaching me since I cannot doubt your having written
very often and as I so anxiously solicited you by every channel, the
Havannah, Jamaica, and the United States—In my former letters
written when I was over head and ears in business, and bother I
probably omitted stating to you the causes of my not forming a
Company as soon as I had at first intended and you will I am convinced
most fully coincide with me in [my] opinion relative to the
propriety of the determination I announced to you in them of unless
something offered more favorable than the aspect of affairs promised
entering into no agreement except indeed it were on most
advantageous terms or to a friend but rather await your advices and then
sell land to create a Capital—The fact is the very day after my
arrival in London I laid all our Documents before a friend one of
the best informed and most respectable merchants there I
subsequently fully explained the business and he made every requisite
enquiry when we found that in consequence of the numerous Piracies
which checked the Spirit of Speculation in that quarter by
rendering the seas beyond measure perilous, and owing to the unfavorable
impression made by false reports (representing Mexico as on the
eve of a civil war and one general distress and confusion) which I
in some measure did but owing to the silence of my correspondents
in Mexico could not wholly do away to form a company even on fair
terms would be beyond measure difficult and even when effected
would require a vast sacrifice of interest since in order to procure
50 or 100,000 Dollars we must give up land which selling at the rate
that of Poyais far inferior in every respect then brought in the
market worth at least four or five possibly ten twenty or thirty times
THAT SUM and this only in order to gain a few months or if you
were careful in writing possibly only days— I ought to state that
Poyais is on the Mosquito Shore near Portobello a tract granted to
an Englishman and I understand has sold in part for more than I
Dollar per acre the very same merchants and Banker who arranged
his business have called on and offered me their aid and agency—
Under these circumstances you would doubtless have deemed me
worse than mad had I not suspended the execution of the scheme
we had framed when at Mexico and my determination in
consequence was such as will I am convinced merit the approbation of
yourself and every one and prove the feeling which I was resolved
should actuate my conduct in whatever proposal I might make
you—Calculating that 300,000 acres of the best land would produce
the same number of Dollars 1/3 of which I proposed lodging in your
name 1/3 in my own and with the other 1/3 sending out all the goods
you require which together with all the remaining land (in order
that you might be enabled to provide for your family in which
laudable effort I shall ever join you) I intended making over to you to
be divided amongst your brother brother in law sister and other
relatives as you might deem proper reserving only 1/6 so that if you chose
your mother might have -1/6 your brother sister - Brother in law -
yourself and myself 1/6 each—With regard to the distribution of
whatever sum we might raise by Timber sold in this country which as I
have so often stated if you can cut it down float it to the coast at
little expense and ship ships lye there during the summer will
produce an immense sum of money I should be equally liberal having
no one member of my family to provide for nor wishing for any
more than independent small portune for myself—I intended at
the same time to request that a friend a merchant should be named
agent for the concern since the greater part of the produce doubtless
will be sold in this country—In all the schemes I have entered into
relative to Mining &c you as I informed you at Mexico have an equal
share with myself unless very unfortunate they will produce fortunes
for us but I have not on that account neglected the land in Texas
since it is well for us to have two strings to our bow—I ought to have
mentioned that never man had so awkward a game to play as I had
since first the Pirates plundered me of all my cash cloathes and nearly
all my papers then no one of my correspondents notwithstanding
all I had urged on the subject forwarding to me intelligence relative
to the state of Mexico I was unable as I otherwise would have done
wholly to discredit the reports which [eame] from the Havannah
and N: America Papers so that when I offered the Valenciana spec-
illation to a house inclined to take it the question asked was "what
are your latest advices? accounts from N: Ama: state that a
revolution is inevitable indeed has already commenced in Santander" and
with regard to your grant in Texas every rich man to whom I had
applied asked the same question adding your documents state that
the claim was under the consideration of the Congress and not
ratified that Congress has it appears by the Havannah and N: American
Newspapers been dissolved by Iturbide—If therefore any time has
been lost you must attribute it to the cause be it what it may which
has prevented my receiving an account of the confirmation of your
claim which you must recollect you was to send me immediately and
by every conveyance in order to enable me to make a contract—Had
I not been robbed, and disappointed for which I had reason to
expect, those articles which you want for your self I should have sent
out as soon as I arrived—If however as you state in your letter you
can procure money in the United States on advantageous terms and
time is so very important on the following terms I shall in order
to meet your wishes have no objection to provided the best land be
reserved to be sold in this country and the proceeds divided between
us and reserve for me a share in the whole concern of one-sixth (1/6) —
This offer I make you in order to meet your wishes since—
remember that the Bank has resumed cash payments money here procures
scarcely 4 pr cent: Capital was never so abundant as it now is in
London consequently. . .[illegible] Mr Exter has removed to No. 109
Fenchurch London therefore address me there do not inclose more or
thicker paper in your letters than absolutely necessary since it renders
the postage very expensive and when possible as I always do to you
write only a single sheet without enclosing it which doubles the
postage—[If] you remove the obstacles above mentioned I have no doubt
everything will succeed beyond your most sanguine expectations—
Remember that in our agreement no time is specified had any given
period been mentioned even in conversation I should of course have
said so many weeks after the receipt by me in England of the
sanction of the Congress my interest are as much concerned as yours
consequently I will not lose a single moment indeed have already
taken an expensive journey in order to meet a gentlemen who I
expected might have advanced some cash but did not meet him at
home—With patience all will go well or if in a very great hurry
procure cash as I have before stated on the terms there mentioned
in the United States The Bills Barry drew in favor of the Minr
of finance have been I am informed protested—Write and most
fully relative to Timber etc., etc. Believe me most truly yours

I most anxiously expect your answer and those from the Mexn
Govt to the letters which I dispatched 2 1/2 months ago—France is
about to attack Spain—England is also about to recognize the
independence of the Amas.Spain is in a terrible state of confusion and
civil war. I have recd Gl. Bustamantes letter promises me to do
every thing in his power to aid and protect you—The house you I
hope found as I did a most excellent one—